Fourth Vector Ch. 34

Kat saw the confusion on his face. She laughed again. "Please fuck her for me, will you? I mean it, Jack." She playfully covered the ears of John. "I want your cock in her pussy and I want you to make her cum and then when you're ready, I want you to shoot the biggest load of cum so deep inside her. Got it?"

If Jack thought he was uncomfortable before, he was nearly ready to rip a hole in his trousers. "Got it," he said with a chuckle.

"Besides if you're really good, maybe I'll let someone else watch John for an hour while I get to watch you two go at it," she said with some hunger in her eyes. "The only thing that would make me happier would be to let me be the filling in a Jack and Abigail sandwich!"

"If you don't stop soon, I'm going to wake her up by sliding inside her," he warned.

Kat bit her lip again and reached out to grab his erection. Her eyes turned sad only for a brief moment. "This six weeks is going to be rough but we'll get through it the best we can, okay? That means not being noble about this. She's going to be a Kincardine too and as your land wife, I'm asking you to make sure she gets all the sex she needs."

"Well, if you put it that way," said Jack with another laugh.

*****

There wasn't a lot of sleep to be had that night for anyone. Not long after their conversation, Kat fell back asleep as did Jack but they were awakened two more times before dawn by a fussy John. On the third time, even Abigail took a turn comforting him.

"He's just so precious," she said as she rocked him gently in her chair. One strand of hair was now falling off her head and landed against the baby's stomach. She was the picture of motherhood and it wasn't even her child.

"I could watch you hold him like that all day," said Jack, admiring the view.

Abigail stuck out her lower lip. "I just wish I could nurse him and take some of the burden off of Kat." She then looked down at John. "But I'm afraid you could suck on my nipples all you want but milk still isn't going to come out."

Despite the innocence of her statement, it still took Jack to a place he'd rather not be (at least with a baby in the room). He resolved to have his alone time with Abigail sooner rather than later.

That would have to wait for the time being as a new series of visitors arrived to see baby John. This time, the Calland family was the first to arrive, with Will and Lindsay leading the way followed tentatively by Bill and Lisa. Jack could tell by the look on Bill's face that he was apprehensive about being there and Jack understood why completely.

The last time that Bill had seen Kat, he'd deposed her in favor of her cousin, Eric.

"Good morning to all of you," said Jack as he gave a special look to Bill. "And you, my friend, are a very brave man this morning.

Lisa tugged gently on Bill's shoulder. "It's a day that's long in the making. I figured with Katherine on bed rest right now, she couldn't do much damage to him if she was truly upset."

Bill swallowed heavily. "Is she awake or seeing visitors? Because we can come back if now's not a good time."

Jack beckoned them forward. "Trust me, it's a good time. Come on in."

Will and Lindsay were the first to see Kat. They both offered her a gentle hug while they soon congregated around Abigail and the sleeping form of John.

"He's just adorable," cooed Lindsay as she gently stroked the side of his head. "I always knew you two would create some really beautiful children and I wasn't wrong!"

"He looks just great," echoed Will as he met Jack's eyes. "What are you going to name him?"

"I'm naming him after my father," said Jack proudly. "He'll be known as John Kincardine."

Will smiled and nodded. "A good name for a future king." He turned toward baby John and managed to kneel. "I'd like to be the first to swear loyalty to my future king."

Lindsay rolled her eyes playfully and helped him back to his feet. "You can be so dramatic at times!"

"It comes with being a Calland," said Will as he looked back at Jack. "Congratulations to you, Jack. I know he'll make a fine heir to the throne."

"We can certainly hope," said Jack as they were soon joined by Lisa Calland who joined Lindsay in cooing over the baby. Surprisingly enough, Bill was still hovering around the entrance to the room and Jack could now see why.

Kat was looking at him with daggers in her eyes.

The tension in the room took a noticeable uptick and for a brief moment, Jack thought he might have to stop the mother of his child from launching into a sneak attack against his most important advisor.

Unfortunately, humor did little to decrease the tension either.

"Well, I see you two obviously know each other," said Jack in a lighthearted manner.

It only made things worse because Kat shot a devastating look at him instead.

Jack coughed awkwardly before going for broke. "All right, enough of that. Both of you knew this day would come eventually. Can we put aside the past for a moment and look toward the future instead?"

"That's kind of hard when this man's vote was the last one needed to kick me out of my country," said Kat sullenly. "Not to mention make me run for my life."

Bill gave Jack a helpless look. "What else was I to do? I made a mistake and you know that. Should I be punished for it for the rest of my life?"

"I haven't been back home for a good portion of my life because of you," snapped Kat.

Jack put a reassuring hand on Kat's thigh. Her expression warmed instantly at the touch of affection. "That's enough, I said. If not for Bill, I wouldn't be alive right now. This prophecy that guides all that we do and keeps everyone near and dear to us wouldn't even have a Galician King to guide. Bill could have let me die but he risked his family, his fortune, his home, and his life to save mine. I owe him everything. Not to mention, he's been one of the best friends I could ask for."

That speech continued to melt Kat's cool exterior. She looked at Bill with an expression of unease instead of outright hostility.

"What I do for you Jack is to make up for many of the wrongs of my past," said Bill as he walked closer to the bed. "I haven't always made the right decisions. In fact, I've made some downright terrible ones."

"I'll say," muttered Kat.

"But I like to think that it's never too late to atone for such decisions," continued Bill. "I help Jack because it's the right thing to do. Because I care about Galicia more than just about anything else. I want my country to be strong so that my son and his sons can inherit a strong homeland. I thought I was doing that when I put Eric Rosdahl in the Regency. I see now just how wrong I was."

Kat didn't say anything to that which only caused Bill to keep going.

"When I found out what kind of man Jack is, I knew I made the right decision this time," said Bill as he took another step forward. He was right on the edge of the bed, close enough for Kat to kick him if he said the wrong thing. Jack didn't doubt that such a notion passed through Bill's mind as well as he took a long wary glance at her leg.

"When I also found out that you were his woman, I knew that the fates were giving me a second chance," continued Bill. "One that I intend to see through until the end. That's why I'm asking your forgiveness this time around. We're both invested in the same person," said Bill as he touched Jack's arm. "We should be able to tolerate each other at the very least."

Kat pursed her lips as she thought about it. Jack thought it was a good sign that she didn't immediately say no. Any consideration was a success, especially given the years of animosity that had developed.

"You're going to have to work your way back up to someone that I'll consider trusting," said Kat finally as she looked at Bill. "You're lucky that I got to know your son and his girlfriend before this meeting happened. I see a lot of good in your family and it's because of them. Due to how much I like Lindsay and Will, I'll give you a second chance."

Bill couldn't contain a smile. In fact, it was the largest grin that Jack had seen on his face short of the time that he was reunited with his family after the short jaunt over to Samara. He came closer and took Kat's hand, shaking it gently.

"Thank you, Katherine. You don't know what this means to me," he said.

"No, but I know how much you mean to him," said Kat as she nodded toward Jack. "And I know I owe you my gratitude for saving his life. I love this man more than life itself so for that reason alone, we can give this a chance."

Bill beamed with pride. "I'm sorry that I didn't give you a longer chance to prove what kind of regent you could be. From everything that Jack has told me about you, you would have been an excellent regent."

Surprisingly, those words brought a tear to Kat's eye. She quickly wiped it away. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear those words. I've relived that day in Kalmar so many times wondering what I could have done differently to avoid such a fate. To be somewhat absolved of my youth and inexperience is something that I've longed to hear."

"And now you've done quite possibly the two most important things in Galician history," said Bill. "Not only have you found our long-lost heir to the throne but you've given birth to the next Galician Prince. It's because of you that Galicia has hope again. I know that to be fact and soon all of Galicia will know it too."

Whatever animosity that Kat had left for Bill died at that moment. Years of anger and tension quickly melted away only to be replaced by a level of genuine friendliness. Kat seemed to be touched by his words, and Jack knew that he was certainly touched by Bill's high-minded ideals.

"May I be able to hold your son?" Bill asked after a few moments of silence. "I would sure like to meet the next Prince of Galicia."

Both Jack and Kat nodded, and the Lord of Hemswell soon walked over to Abigail where she safely deposited John into his arms. Bill beamed with excitement at seeing the sleeping baby even as a tear slipped down his cheek.

"I never thought I'd see the day," he whispered under his breath. "The Kincardines are back!"

His words were felt by more than just him. Jack couldn't help but look on in appreciation of how much his life had changed. Not quite two years ago, he was a bachelor commander in the Javan Navy. Now, he was anything but. He was a king fighting for his country with two women to call his own and even a son to call his heir.

How quickly life had changed.

At that moment, little John was passed around the entire room, letting all the Callands have their turn holding him before he was passed back to his mother for another feeding. It was at that time that the Callands made their exit to give them some privacy, allowing Jack and Abigail to have their alone time with Kat.

"I rather like the older Callands as well," said Abigail firmly. "I can see where Will gets a lot of his quirks from!"

"It's been interesting to know both the father and the son," added Jack. "I rather like the entire family, and I would've been lost without Bill's help in this past month."

"You know, I used to think that Will's apple fell far from the tree," said Kat with a hardened expression. "I thought he was nothing like his father and that he was wise and thoughtful outside the older Bill Calland that I knew." Kat's expression softened. "Now, I see that I've been wrong. Will is just like his father, and I can say that I no longer dislike Bill as much as I did. It might take me some time to fully accept him but I'm no longer opposed to it like I used to be."

Jack cracked a smile. "I'd call that progress for sure."

"I'll say," added Abigail with a low whistle. "Even I wouldn't have blamed you if you wanted the man dead after what he did."

Kat shrugged playfully. "What can I say? Motherhood has turned me into a big softy."

All three of them had a good laugh at that one.

*****

It was a busy day for the new parents. Not only did the Callands visit in the morning, but so too did Aedan and Ciara as well as Santino and Giana. Art Chapman showed up just before dinnertime, exclaiming what a healthy looking baby John was and saying how he'd make a fine officer one day. Such remarks made Jack beam with pride while it made Kat's protective instincts go into overdrive.

"Thanks all the same, General, but I'd rather think of him as a baby and not a soldier," said Kat as she shifted John to the other side of her body.

"All I'm saying is that he looks like a healthy and strong baby," said Art, at a temporary loss for words. "I'm sure he'll be a good man when he gets older. Of course, I can always use good men in the army!"

Nevertheless, it was a trying day for most of them and once Kat and John were asleep, Jack finally decided to catch up on his rest. He walked into a spare room that had been set up with a bed for anyone that needed it. Lately, that bed had been taken by Abigail and tonight was no different. Jack kicked off his boots as well as his shirt before he tried to slip into bed without waking her.

Almost as soon as his head touched the pillow, Abigail's eyes were on him.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I was trying to be quiet."

She shook her head. "You were, it's just I'm not used to feeling the weight of the bed shift anymore."

She didn't wait for his response before crawling over to his side and laying her head against his chest. Jack tucked his arm around her back and pulled her close, inhaling the sweet smell of lavender that she always carried.

"What a long day," she murmured against his chest. "I felt like I had to go to sleep just to escape all the visitors."

"At least you can walk away when you're tired of them," said Jack. "Poor Kat is stuck as the center of attention. I finally had to turn away General Chapman just so she could get some sleep."

"I didn't realize just how much life would change with John's arrival," she said softly. "I always pictured what it would look like but most of my memories come from when Anna was little. I guess I don't remember how much work a baby really is."

"I was pretty old when Jocelyn came around so I remembered what it's like when they're that age," said Jack. "Let's just say there were many times when I wished she was older."

She patted his chest softly. "We'll get through it though. It's a good problem to have. Sometimes it's hard to believe that you and Kat are really parents."

Jack tilted her head for her to look at him directly. "All three of us are parents. Don't forget that. Just because you didn't birth him doesn't mean you aren't just as much his mother as Kat is."

"You say that but there will always be a distinction there," she replied. "Kat will always be his real mom while I'll only be just some pretender."

Jack made a confused face. "Why do you say that? What's on your mind to have you saying such things?"

Abigail let out a sigh. "I don't know. I can't really decipher how I feel right now. Maybe I'm just . . ."

"Feeling left out?" he finished.

"Jealous," she said finally. Her eyes turned soft and big. "I love you just as much as she does. And yet she's the one that gets to have your baby right now. Before you argue with me, I know it's just temporary but it doesn't help the fact that I want to be pregnant with your baby too, Jack. I want to touch my stomach and know that your child is resting softly underneath. I guess just finally getting to meet John has stoked some jealousy in me."

"There's nothing to be jealous about," replied Jack as he put his hand on Abigail's flat stomach. "One day soon, we'll have our baby too. And then Kat will be the one to watch you be pregnant."

Abigail giggled. "Until she decides she wants another."

"Or that," said Jack with a laugh. "But even still, our time will come. I've told you many times that I don't see a future without both you and Kat in it. That means children too. John is hopefully just the first in a long line of children, I promise you that."

She nodded. "I know it's selfish of me to want to get pregnant right now while the war's going on. There's so much that's unsettled but don't think that I haven't thought about throwing my pills in the trash and never looking back."

Jack smiled. "When that day comes, I'll help you throw the pills. You're right, the timing of this baby could have been a little better. Hopefully soon, we'll be in a place where things are more settled that we can start trying."

Abigail locked eyes with him. "You really think so, Jack? Do you think we'll get there anytime soon? It just feels like this war keeps going on and on without resolution. I'm not just talking about the Swabians but even the Occitanian/Ruthenian war too. Sometimes I feel like we'll never see the end of war."

Jack pressed his lips against her forehead. "With any luck, we'll start to see some progress soon. We've sacrificed a lot just to get to this point but we have a lot to be thankful for. We have an army that is united and ready to strike back against the enemy. We have allies and a navy that's much bigger than the initial task force we brought here. Things could always be worse."

She smiled and raked her fingers across his chest. "You're right. Things could be much worse. I'm sorry, by the way. I don't mean to be so melancholy right now."

He squeezed her tight. "Nothing to forgive, trust me."

"There is one thing that I have to get used to though," she said, looking at him again. "I'd always pictured that one day my name might be Abigail Easterbrook. I'm going to have to get used to thinking of it as Abigail Kincardine from now on."

Jack started to laugh. "Hopefully it's not too much of a change?"

"Oh, it's a change all right," she teased. "But a good change. Kat and I talked about it a bit today while you were talking with Aedan. Are you sure that's what you want to do? No one is forcing you to change your name."

"No, they're not," he agreed. "But looking inside me, I think it's the right thing to do. In the past year, my identity has been reforged. The change of the name seems to fit. In a way, I'm no longer the same Jack Easterbrook."

"You'll always be the same to me," she purred as her hand threatened across his stomach. "You'll always be the same man that I fell for the first time I saw you onboard theDestiny."

"You mean the night you seduced me?" he teased. "I believe it was the same night you let me believe there was a male Lt. Commander Wainwright."

She started to giggle. "Did I do that? Well, it worked, didn't it? I got you right where I wanted you."

With those words, her hands slid further south until they rested over his manhood. It was the second time that day that one of them had grabbed him, and his response was immediate. Jack was hard in a matter of seconds, making Abigail coo delightfully.

"Well, that was quick," she said with a laugh. "I'm glad to know you still want me."

"Of course I want you," he quipped. "But you've got to understand that it's been a long time for me. Frankly, just hearing your voice gets me half of the way there anymore."

She gave him a wicked grin. "And what else do I have to do to get you going further?"

Jack gulped. "Just keep looking at me like that."

"Good answer," she replied as her hand dipped under the waistband of his trousers. She gripped his bare skin and gave it the smallest of strokes. "You know, Kat told me something else today too."

"What's that?" asked Jack, holding back a groan from her touch.

Abigail leaned in closer and whispered into his ear, "she told me that she doesn't want us to hold back on her account. She wants us to fuck."

It was the way that Abigail emphasized the word "fuck" that had him thrusting against her hand. There was always something so very sexy about the way she did almost everything. Even when she was nervous or upset, Abigail still exuded sex in all ways. She could make the slightest movement into one that was sexual or emphasize just the right word to get Jack's blood boiling.